Spring-hinge.



W. J. K EBNE. SPRING HINGE. Axl'PLIOATION FILED AUG. 16, 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

1HE NDRRIS PETERS C0.. PHDIULITHO.. WASHINGTON, D, c.

il N l'lED STA'I ES PA'IEN'J OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. KEENE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO SPRING BUTTCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

SPRING-HINGE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KEENE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, county of- Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to spring hinges for doors and the like and havingmeans whereby the spring may be thrown out of opera* tion. so that thedoor may swing free.

More particularly the invention seeks to improve the construction setforth in my prior' United States Letters Patent No. 1,032,144, datedJuly` 9, 1912.

rllhe construction set forth in the above mentioned patent is providedwith a locking detent for the spring actuated spindle of the hinge whichyieldingly holds the door in closed position, but which is releasable topermit the door to swing free. The present invention'seeks to providemeans whereby a detent of this sort may be employed to hold the door inopen position against accidental closing by drafts or the like, butwhich is readily disengaged when pressure is applied to the door toclose it. y

The invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter setforth, illustrated in its preferred form in the accompanying drawingsand more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view `in elevation of the lower corner ofa door and door frame with the improved hinge applied thereto. Fig. 2 isa vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Figs. 3 and'4 arehorizontal and vertical sections on the lines 33 and 4-4, respectively,of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the floor plate and Fig. G is aperspective view of the lower en d of the hinge spindle.

The invention is particularly applicable to and is shown applied to theconstruction set forth in the prior Letters Patentabove referred to, butit should be understood that it could be applied to other types ofdouble acting spring hinges.

rllhe casing of the hinge comprises vertical members 1 and 2 connectedat their upper and lower ends by cross pieces 3 and 4. This casing isadapted to lit within the mortised corner of the door 5 and is connectedthereto by vertical and horizontal eX- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914;.

Sera1 No. 715,349.

tensions 6 and 7. The hinge spindle 8 is journaled in the horizontalportions 3 and 4 of the casing and is yieldingly connected thereto by aspring 9. This spring is coiled about the spindle and is fastened at itsends to upper and lower collars 10 and 11 loosely mounted on thespindle. The collar 10 is provided with projecting lugs 12 and 13 on itsupper and lower faces which are arranged to engage, respectively, thelugs 14 tion of the spindle below the shoulder is journaled in a socket20 of a iioor plate 21. The lower end face of the spindle is providedwith two transverse grooves or seats and 23 which extend acrossthe endface preferably at right angles to each other. The notch or seat 22 isdeep, while the notch 23 is quite shallow. A detent 24 is arrangedwithin the lower end of the socket 20 and is connected thereto at oneend by a transverse pivot pin 25. A coiled spring 26 extends between theopposite end of the detent and a plate 27 that is fastened in anysuitable manner on the lower face of the Hoor plate. The spring forcesthe detent upwardly and into one of the seats 22 or 23 when the latteris in line with the detent. The detent is adapted to be disengaged fromthe deep seat or notch 22 by a trip member or plunger mounted on thecasing and which is similar inconstructionto the trip member set forthin the prior patent referred to. This plunger or trip member 28 slidesvertically in a guide-way 29 formed in the upright portion 1 of thecasing. A bar or strip 30 secured to the casing holds the plunger inposition. A coiled spring 31 is arranged in a longitudinal slot in theplunger 28 and extends between one end of the slot and a lug 32 whichprojects from the strip or plate 30, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Thespring normally holds the plunger uplifted with the lower end of theslot therein engaging the lug 32. The plunger is depressed by a pair oflevers 33 mounted on a pivot screw 34 above the plunger. These levershave substantially horizontal lower edges which bear upon the upper endof the plunger and when the outer end of either is depressed, theplunger is forced downwardly against the tension of the spring 31 sothat the projecting toe portion at the lower endof the plunger, isengaged in the end of the detent 2-1 to disengage the latter from thedeep seat or notch 22 on the lower end of the spindle.

ln .the ordinary operation of the hinge, the detent 24 engages the deepseat or notch 22 of the spindle to thereby secure the latter to thehinge member or floor plate 21 and hold it against rotation. Themovement of the door in one or the other direction will place the spring9 under tension, so that the door will be automatically returned toclosed position by the spring. lWhen the door is in central position,the plunger 28 may be depressed by either one ofthe levers permit thedoor to swing free. lVhen this occurs, the spindle rotates with the doorlower end face by the spring 26. lf the door is moved to full openposition, or at approxi- 'mately 90o from its closed position, the

spring 26 will force the detent into the shallow seat or notch 23 on thespindle and the door will be held against accidental movement by draftsor the like from this open position. This notch, however, is quiteshallow and, if necessary, its side edges may be slightly beveled sothat by grasping the door and moving it toward closed position, thespindle will not be locked in position to place the spring 9 undertension, but will move with the door and the engagement of the detentwith the shallow notch of the spindle will be released. This engagementof the spindle with the shallow notch is such that it merely holds thedoor against accidental movement from open position, but the engagementis insuflicient to lock the spindle against rotation when the door ismoved from open position. As soon as the door returns to its closedposition, the spring 26 will force the detent into the deep seat ornotch 22 and the door will then be yieldingly held in closed position.The engagement of the detent with the deep seat or notch is such that itwill hold the spindle against rotation and, as stated, when the door isshifted in either direction, the spring Copies of this patent may beobtained for 9 will be placed under tension to automatically close thedoor.

As in the previous construction referred to, the hinge casing isinclosed by a pair of v thin sheet inetal side plates which are fasing acasing adapted to be set within a morytised corner of the door, avertical spindle ljournaled in said casing, a right and left actingspring yieldingly connecting said spindle to said easing, a ioor platehaving a socket wherein the lower end of said spin- :dle is journaled, apivoted detent mounted 33 to thereby disengage the detent 2li to in saidsocket plate below the lower end of j said spindle, said spindle havingtransverse relatively deep and shallow seats in its lower and the detent24 will be pressed against itsend face arranged to be engaged by saiddetent to hold the door in open and closed positions, i mounted in saidcasing and arranged to disengage said detent from said relatively deeprespectively, a shiftable trip seat, and a spring for automaticallyengaging said detent with said seats, substantially as described.

A double acting spring hinge comprising a casing adapted to be setwithin the mortised corner of the door, a vertical spindle yournaled insaid casing, a right and left acting spring yieldiiigly connecting saidspindle to said casing, a iioor plate having g a socket wherein thelower end of said spin- .dle is Journaled, a pivoted detent mountedwithin the socket of said plate and extend- -ing across the lower end ofsaid spindle, said spindle having a groove extending across its lowerend face arranged to be engaged by said detent, a shiftable trip mountedin said casing, and arranged to engage the end of said detent and shiftthe same out of said groove, and a spring for pressing said detentupwardly against tlie lower face of said spindle, substantially asdescribed.

ILLIAM J. KEENE.

lllitnesses ELEANOR HAGENORD, KATHARINE GnRLAoi-L ve cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C l

